Scores and Reviews

WA

95/100

WA - Over 50% of the fruit in this 2013 Chardonnay Yattarna comes from Tasmania, Australias relatively recent hotbed of cool climate fruit. Aged in 62% new oak and employing 100% malo-lactic, the nose is closed, revealing subtle chalk dust and steel notes over a core of toast and grapefruit peel plus a touch of lemon zest. Tightly-knit and austere, the light-bodied palate is remarkably creamy and it finishes long and minerally.Lisa Perrotti-Brown - 30/09/2015

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The Producer

Penfolds is undoubtedly one of the top wine companies in the world in terms of quality, product range and consistency. Peter Gago has now taken over winemaking responsibilities and a string of good vintages over the past five years has helped Penfolds stay at the top of the Australian wine boom.

The quality of Penfolds' red wines is simply world-class; nowhere else will you get such great wine for such good value. Penfolds Grange, without doubt Australia's greatest red wine, is also recognised as one of the worlds' finest.

Other wines by this producer:

The Grape

Chardonnay is the "Big Daddy" of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world. It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.

Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.

The Region

At 72,000 hectares, South Australia is the engine room of the country's wine industry, responsible for 43 percent of its vineyards and encompassing some of Australia’s most famous fine wine regions.

One of the most important areas in qualitative terms is the Barossa Valley, beginning 50km north-east of Adelaide, and famous for its full-bodied Shiraz, as well as for its Grenache and Mourvèdre. To the east, the cool Eden Valley is home to some really fine Riesling and top-class Shiraz, such as that made by Henschke. To the north of Barossa is the Clare Valley, also a source of good Riesling but home to well-structured reds as well.

The unique vineyard region of Coonawarra lies 400km south-east in an area of pure limestone topped by a loose, red topsoil. Cool enough to resemble Bordeaux, this area produces great Cabernets and Merlots and is much in demand. Slightly to the north and to the west lie the regions of Padthaway and Mount Benson respectively, which enjoy similar success as sources of great white wines, especially Chardonnay. Wrattonbully however is known for its fresh, varietally-pure Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

However it’s the less-distinguished Riverland region that accounts for 50 percent of the state’s wine production.